“We can arrange a controlled preservation process. You don't need to open it or forward it yourself.”
“Will I lose my job?”
“I can't promise what the department will do. But retaliation against a witness or an employee for preserving relevant records can create additional legal problems. We will document any action taken against you after this conversation.”
Patricia's eyes became wet.
“I've worked here twenty years. I know where things are. I know which files are missing. But I never thought something like this could happen.”
Claire softened her voice.
“Doing your job carefully is not wrongdoing. You should not have to choose between following the records and protecting yourself.”
Patricia nodded.
Olivia arranged a time with the digital evidence team to collect the mailbox data through an approved process.
Before they left, Patricia reached into a drawer and removed a small notebook.
“I kept this because I didn't know what else to do.”
Claire looked at it.
“What is it?”
“Dates. Just dates.”
Patricia opened the notebook.
There were handwritten entries going back nearly a year.
Several dates were marked with the initials of cases Claire had already identified.
Others included short notes:
NR-24187 — second package requested.
NR-23904 — transfer record reopened.
Temporary storage — supervisor approval missing.
Hayes requested archive key.
Claire read the entries twice.
“Why did you write these down?”
“Because the system kept changing.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sometimes a record would show one location in the morning and a different location later. I assumed it was a software issue. But when I asked, I was told to stop making duplicate notes.”
“Who told you that?”
Patricia looked toward the door.
“Lieutenant Pike.”
Claire did not take the notebook immediately.
“Are these your original notes?”
“Yes.”
“Have you added anything since yesterday?”
“No.”
“Then we'll document and preserve it as a potential source record. I don't want you to alter it or make a clean copy.”
Patricia closed the notebook.
“I thought I was just being paranoid.”
“Maybe you were being careful,” Claire said.
At 12:15, the federal digital evidence team joined Claire and Olivia in a secure conference room.
A specialist named Ethan Brooks displayed the archived database snapshot.
He had already begun comparing it with the department's current records.
“The snapshot is not enough to establish the full history,” he explained. “But it gives us a starting point. We can identify changes between the archived version and the current database.”
Claire leaned forward.
“What have you found?”
“Several records were amended after the original entries. In some cases, the amendment history remains visible. In others, the current system displays only the revised version.”
“Can you recover the earlier values?”
“Potentially. The backup system retains transaction logs, but we need to confirm the retention window and whether the logs are complete.”
“Do that.”
Ethan opened another screen.
“Here's the Meridian entry.”
The record showed a transfer date, a destination field, a user account, and a supervisor approval field.
The user account was associated with the evidence unit.
The approval field contained the initials R.P.
“Can we identify the account holder?” Claire asked.
“The account was used by multiple people over time. The login itself isn't enough. We need access logs, workstation records, and possibly badge records.”
“What about the destination?”
“Meridian Logistics and Storage is listed as a private commercial entity. We haven't confirmed whether it actually received anything.”
“Can you identify when the entry was created?”
“According to the database timestamp, it was entered six months ago. But the transfer date listed in the record is earlier.”
Claire frowned.
“So the record was created months after the alleged transfer.”
“Correct.”
“Could that be a routine delayed entry?”
“It could. But we'd need supporting documentation.”
Olivia pointed to another field.
“What's this?”
Ethan enlarged the screen.
A small notation appeared beneath the transfer entry:
CLOSEOUT — HAYES REVIEW
The room became quiet.
Claire looked at Olivia.
“That connects the database entry to the old review.”
“Or someone used the same label,” Olivia replied. “We still need to authenticate it.”
Ethan nodded.
“I'll compare the timestamp with the email metadata once we obtain the mailbox.”
Claire wrote down the reference.
“Do not assume the label identifies who created the transfer. We need the underlying audit trail.”
“Understood.”
The next record was more troubling.
NR-23904 had been amended at 9:06 a.m. on the day Claire first arrived at North River.
The change removed a temporary storage location.
“Can you determine who made this amendment?” Claire asked.
“Not yet. The account was registered to the evidence unit. We can compare the login session with the workstation and building access records.”
“Preserve the original value before any further processing.”
“Already done.”
Claire looked at the screen.
The timing was not proof of interference.
But it was no longer something she could dismiss as an ordinary clerical inconsistency.
Someone had changed a relevant record on the morning of her inspection.
At 2:30, Martin Shaw called again.
“Claire, we have a development.”
“What is it?”
“The prosecutor's office has reviewed the preliminary findings. They agree that we need to secure the relevant records and determine whether any pending cases are affected.”
“Have they approved a search of Meridian?”
“Not yet. They want more information about the alleged transfer and the facility.”
“That's reasonable.”
“We're preparing the necessary legal process. In the meantime, I want you to identify every case that may be connected to the same storage route.”
Claire opened the list.
“NR-24187, NR-23904, and at least three others. We need the complete six-month ledger to identify the full scope.”
“Good. Don't narrow the review too early.”
“I won't.”